Jaybird Vista Review

The Jaybird Vista strikes a rare balance of being comfortable enough for extended periods of wear while still being secure enough for even intense workouts, all the while offering field-leading sound quality. For those that want earbuds that can do it all, look no further.

Analysis and Test Results

Sound Quality

The Jaybird Vista is one of the best sounding pairs of earbuds we've ever tested. No matter your musical proclivities, we think these buds will provide a listening experience that is more than satisfactory.

One criticism we will levy against the Jaybird Vista's sound quality is that, out of the box, it isn't spectacular. In particular, the bass sounds a bit thin and weak. However, with only minimal tampering of the sound presets and EQ settings that bass rounds out, picks up body, and provides a solid anchor for any ballad.

Right out of the the box the Jaybird Vista treated us to clearly defined and well articulated mid and treble ranges. When combined with the adjusted bass levels this resulted in a very full and engrossing sound, one that had no trouble giving life to our favorite thumpy workout ballads, nor bringing an air of quality and refinement to softer acoustic numbers. Overall, though you may need to tinker with the EQ a bit, we think these earbuds are going to make your ears happy.

Call Quality

One of the nicest things about wireless earbuds is the ability to make hands-free calls, and the Jaybird Vista does so quite well. In our tests the person using the Jaybird Vista on a call was treated to quite clear, if only slightly echoey, call quality. On the other end the person receiving the call made with the earbuds did get some static and things sounded a bit hollow, but everything was perfectly understandable. Notably the earbuds did a good job of cancelling out ambient noise. Even when walking down a busy street those car noises didn't make their way onto the phone call.

Comfort

The Jaybird Vista is also near the top of the charts in our comfort testing, with the vast majority of our testers finding them comfy even after hours of wear.

Most earbuds provide different sizes of both earpieces (the bit that actually gets put into your ear) and ear fins (the protrusion that sticks out from the earbuds and nestles higher in your ear for added stability), allowing you to mix and match. Surprisingly the Jaybird Vista's earpieces and ear fins are all one piece, so you can't mix and match. Additionally, while there are 3 different sizes of ear fin, all of the affixed earpieces are the same size. While technically providing fewer options than offered by most competitors, the earpieces are so malleable that almost all of our testers found them to fit securely and comfortably. Similarly, the 3 sizes of ear fins provided ample opportunity for most of our testers to find a comfy fit.

Overall, though there were a couple dissenters, the majority of our more than a dozen comfort testers declared these buds to be comfortable, even for long (3+ hour) periods of wear. Earbud fit is a very personal thing, and the fact that most of our testers liked the Jaybird Vista is by no means a guarantee they will fit you well (which is why we always suggest you buy earbuds from a retailer with a good return policy). However, of all the buds we've tested, we think these offer one of the best chances for a comfortable fit.

Athletic Performance

We rarely award perfect scores, but we had to make an exception for the Jaybird Vista's athletic performance. Across the board our testers found these earbuds to be stable and secure throughout their hardest workouts. They are so light that even with heavy strides on a downhill run or heavy jostles on a mountain bike ride we barely felt any tugging in our ears. Plus they boast an IPX7 waterproof rating, meaning they can survive submersion in a meter of water for 30 minutes. So even if you're sweating proverbial buckets there's no way you're going to hurt these buds.

The only minor, and it is quite minor, complaint we can levy about the Jaybird Vista's athletic performance is that fact that you can feel them jostle a bit during harder impacts. And by harder impacts we mean big drops on a mountain bike or skis. Even in these extreme situations the earbuds stay put, but if you're a hard charging mountain biker or skier and want over-the-top (literally) stability you may want to look for a pair of earbuds with over-ear hooks.

Battery Life

The batteries in the earbuds themselves withstood 5.75 hours of continuous playback before dying in our battery life testing. The charging case then holds about 2 more full charges, making the manufacturer's claim of a 16-hour overall battery life about accurate. While 5.75 hours is about average when it comes to single-use battery life, it is more than enough for the vast majority of workouts, and can even get you through many flights before having to toss the buds back into the charging case.

Portability

Though not the smallest on the market, the Jaybird Vista's case is relatively sleek — we had no problems sliding into the front pocket of a pair of jeans. The case generally feels a bit more ruggedly built than those of competitors as well. It also offers a removable lanyard that allows you to hang the case off of a carabiner or keychain.

Ease of Use

Of the true wireless earbuds we've tested, the Jaybird Vista are some of the easiest and simplest to use. Each bud has a single large button on the face. We found these buttons easy enough to press that it doesn't feel like you're shoving the earbuds further into your ears while still offering enough of a tactile 'click' that makes it clear your press was registered. A single press of either button functions as play/pause, while a double press skips to the next song. We like that having the button present on both buds makes things intuitive for both right and left handers.

The Jaybird app allows you to access some more advanced settings for the Jaybird Vista. You can adjust the sound profile, manage voice prompts, turn on the 'find your buds' feature, and access a fit test that helps you choose the right earpieces for your ears.

Value

The Jaybird Vista asks top dollar, but also provides top-tier performance. These buds aren't for budget shoppers, but those willing to pay extra for the best performance available will certainly get their money's worth.

Conclusion